Category Archives: Interesting Things as of Late

isn’t it all?

Again and Again and Again

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Well it’s Monday. The big news today was all about New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer being caught in a prostitution ring, based out of Cliffside Park. He was known as client #9 of call girls who charge in the range of $1000 to $5000. It’s fucked up, that he fucked up. I wouldn’t be so concerned but via 6 degrees of separation I’m somehow connected to this. Not in any big way, but in the most basic sense of the 6 degrees. Someone knows someone who runs the household up in Albany.

It would suck if she got fired because of Spitzer’s resignation which some people are calling for, whereas others are saying that it if Bill Clinton could get through the Lewinsky mess, then why can’t Spitzer? Before that things were pretty much copacetic. Damn daylight savings fucked me up this morning. Intercourse that extra hour of daylight. I don’t like waking up when it’s dark outside and it was plenty dark this morning at 6:00. Still I rallied and did the things I do when I am getting ready to go to work.

Made it on time to catch the bus, finished the New Yorker, finished Hotel California and the new Mojo and Uncut Magazines are not on the stands yet. Actually Uncut is but I buy the magazines in pairs so I just couldn’t buy one without the other. A small concession to being anal retentive perhaps? Made it across town this morning cutting through Grand Central listening to Echo and The Bunnymen. That was fun, good beat enabled me to swiftly walk through the crowds pouring out of Metro North trains.

Outside the Waldorf Astoria there were a few trucks for tonight’s broadcast of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I did enter a contest to attend but since I didn’t win, I don’t care about the Hall of Fame. I’m inclined to agree with David Bowie who turned down the nomination a few years ago. In 1997 I did see the Rascals rehearse for their induction. My boss- the producer, Arif Mardin produced them back in the day and I had to deliver some papers to the rehearsal space for Arif to sign. I was instructed not to hang out but Arif insisted that I hear one or two songs and who was I to disagree? That year the Hall of Fame ceremony was in Cleveland, OH. So I wasn’t going to attend anyhow.

Today I occasionally have to report to Tom Chin and things had been good lately, until this morning. Lydia the receptionist had asked him about something and for some reason he started yelling at her, threatening to yell at me through her. I heard my name mentioned and I stepped in to find Tom Chin yelling because of a simple question. He started yelling at me about something I had nothing to do with. I told him that in a voice slightly higher and authoritative than his. He backed down and I took Lydia aside and told her, from now on (until May when she leaves) she should talk to me before she has anything to do with Tom Chin.

I can more than likely head things off at the pass and keep the bad vibes from Tom Chin to a minimum. He did lighten up later in the day. It’s usually best that we keep contact to a minimum. It is tax time and he’s the Chief Financial Officer. Two weeks ago he was upset that I ordered notepads and pencils. He’s the King Knucklehead in the office. The Wire ended it’s run last night and I liked it a lot. It will require seeing it again. Sad endings with an occasional smile. No tears though, that’s for sure. No redemption for Baltimore. It goes on and then it goes around again.

Singing In The Rain

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Well it’s been an interesting day to say the least. Woke up with a headache, feeling dehydrated, drank some water, went back to sleep, but the headache wouldn’t go away so I got out of bed and had 2 gel caps. Showered and went out for the bagel and newspaper routine. Called Julio and Stine to see if they wanted anything and Julio requested bagels. Picked those up and did some grocery shopping. It rained quite a bit last night and today promised more rain, but I was relatively lucky and rain free at that moment.

Came home, had breakfast, decided to get a haircut. Mr. L’s on the corner of my block seemed empty when I walked by so I walked in. Unfortunately there were a bunch of guys waiting before me sitting below the window pane. I decided to run some errands instead of waiting and hope for the best later in the afternoon. I did go to the library and picked up the dvd of The History Boys. Bill hadn’t seen the whole thing and getting the dvd was a pretty good idea I thought. Also ran up to the produce store on Washington Street and bought a head of lettuce.

Back at the apartment I chilled out and started to do the laundry. First load was colors as usual. Seemed to go well. I surfed the net as the white started to do their thing. Midway through, I hear a clunk clunk. I don’t pay too much attention since it stopped and I thought it was the construction next door in the rain. Then I started to hear water spilling on the floor and thought the sink might be backed up. It happens. I get up and step into a puddle. There is water pouring out of the top of the hot water heater. Puddles throughout the kitchen heading into the bathroom. I recycled all the newspapers the other day so I scrambled to find something else to sop up the water with.

Found a bunch of rags and set about on my hands and knees mopping up the water after I figured out how to turn off the water. Then I called Peter the landlord who said he’d call someone. I called Julio for some advice but he was in West new York and couldn’t really help. Didn’t matter since the water was turned off anyway. I mopped for about an hour, wringing out rags and dumping the water in the toilet. Then with that done I sat and waited for the guy to show up and do something about the hot water heater. Three hours later I decided to get a haircut since I never heard from this guy. The barber shop was empty when I walked in and I was out of there in about thirty minutes, looking less shaggy but still bangin’.

Called landlord Peter again who explained that the guy named Robert was in the city and would be back soon enough. Robert called about an hour later said he’d be here in about thirty minutes. An hour later Robert appears. Robert is the building handyman, and last I saw him he was painting the fire escape last July at 10:00 at night in the dark. He came over and drained the rest of the water from the heater and he and I moved it into the hallway. He left after that, leaving his tools behind, saying that Bill and I will be getting a new hot water heater tonight.

That was about ninety minutes ago. So Bill and I here now, outside a storm rages from the southwest. No hot water, but we have The History Boys.